Proposal cover



June 12, 1962 c. B. LEAP 3,

' PROPOSAL COVER' Filed Feb. 3. 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 24 A l B 2 47 E.

i i i i 'INVENTOR.

CLINTON B. LEAP C. B. LEAP PROPOSAL COVER June 12, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Feb' 3, 1958 INVENTOR.

CLINTON B. LEAP ATTORN United States Patent 3,038,742 PRQPOSAL COVERClinton B. Leap, Locust Corner Road, RD. 1, Amelia, Ohio Filed Feb. 3,1958, Ser. No. 713,020 6 Ciaims. (Cl. 28129) This invention relates tojackets or covers commonly known as proposal covers, in which sheets ofpaper or the like may be bound or secured to provide booklets orcompilations of data, attractively presented and protected against soilor multilation. Such booklets may be used by persons who may wish topresent data such as estimates, proposals, reports, advertisingmaterial, and the like, in a most attractive form but without incurringundue or unreasonable expense. In accordance with the invention, theimproved jackets or covers are capable of rapid production insingle-piece form, with the use of existing machinery and, ifdesired,,inexpensive paper or cardboard stock. When expense is not ofprimary importance, other forms of sheet stock may be used infabricating the jackets or covers, namely, such materials as leather,plastic sheet, cloth, foil, or, in fact, any sheet material foundsuitable for use as a cover or jacket of the general charactermentioned. The material selected should be one which can be formed orsheared to the prescribed shape, and folded to produce the ultimate formof jacket or cover desired.

In addition to the objective of producing a jacket or cover which isattractive through inexpensive, it is an object of the present inventionto minimize the labor and hand-work heretofore considered necessary tothe production of covers or jackets for data sheets and the like. Underthe practice of the present invention, the jackets are automaticallyformed from sheet stock, and supplied to the purchaser or consumer inflat form, thereby to facilitate handling, packaging, and shipping, withgreat economies resulting.

Another object of the invention is to produce the jackets or covers invarious forms, without departure from the basicone-piece constructionfeature which characterizes the invention.

Another object is to provide a jacket or cover having the advantages andfeatures mentioned, which is further characterized by the fact that allstaples or stitchings employed in forming a booklet therefrom arecompletely and effectively concealed in the interests of improvedappearance, and freedom from snagging or defacing other objects ormaterials coming into contact with the jacket.

A further object is to provide a jacket or cover of the characterstated, which includes in its one-piece structure one or more pocketswhich may be used for various purposes, for example, to hold smallsamples, individual note sheets or data sheets not desirably to be boundinto the booklet, or perhaps cards, schedules, or any other materials orobjects to be detached or disassociated from the jacket for one reasonor another.

It is an object of the invention also to provide an improved jacket orcover for the purposes mentioned, which may be assembled about theinsert sheets to produce a booklet, with unusual case and dispatch.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the means describedherein and illustrated upon the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front plan view, part broken away, showing a jacket body ofthe invention in flat form.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, showing the jacket of FIG. 1 in an initialstep of assembly with a group of insert sheets incorporated therein.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the jacket of "ice FIGS. 1 and 2completely assembled but with one corner partly unattached to clarifythe disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a slight modificationof the FIG. 3 assembly.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a modification of the jacket of FIG. 1, partbeing broken away.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the the jacket of FIG. 5 in an initialstep of assembly with a group of insert sheets incorporated therein.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the jacket of FIGS. 5 and 6completely assembled but with one corner partly unattached to clarifythe disclosure.

In all forms of the invention, the jacket material is initially providedin fiat sheet form, and is marked or scored to provide fold lines in aidof assembly with relation to a group or stack of insert sheets to beincorporated in the jacket. In each instance, a single stripe or band ofadhesive is included in the blank which constitutes the jacket, thisstripe of adhesive being applied preferably at the factory. The natureof the adhesive employed may vary, as many suitable froms and types ofadhesive substances are available at present, and others which aresuitable for the purposes of the invention may be developed in thefuture. It should be understood, then, that the present invention shallnot be limited to use of the pressure-sensitive adhesive herein proposedby way of example and for purposes of explanation. The adhesive stripeor area to be disclosed herein may or may not carry a protectivedetachable film or cover strip to be removed for exposing the adhesiveat the time of use, although such form of adhesive seems preferable atthis writing.

FIGS. 1 to 4 The form of the invention illustrated by FIGS. 1 to 4,inclusive, comprises a fiat sheet substantially greater in length thanin width, carrying transverse score lines, or merely markings indicatinglines of folding, as suggested at 1, 2, and 3, which divide the blankinto panels A, B, C and D. An additional narrow panel E may also beprovided for, if desired, but the structure will first be describedwithout reference to a panel such as B. As in the previous descriptions,V denotes the front faces of all the panels, while W indicates the backsthereof.

Panels A, B, C, and D are dimensioned to substantially correspond insize with the insert sheets of stock S. An adhesive stripe 22 is appliedto the front of panel A, marginally of its free side edge 46, andcarries the usual protective strip 24 to be peeled off for exposing theadhesive.

In this highly simplified form of jacket, assembly may require foldingalong line '1 to place the backs of panels A and B in flatwise contact,with the insert sheets interposed and fastened to both panels by meansof the stitches or fasteners 28 located close to the line of fold asindicated. Next, a fold is made along line 2, placing face V of panel Cagainst face V of panel B, thereby to locate the line of fold 3 inregistry with fold line 1. Panel D may then be wrapped about fold line 1to place its face V flatwise upon the front face of panel A, thisresulting in disposition of adhesive stripe 22 (FIG. 3), against themarginal free edge portion 47 of panel D. Upon stripping the protectivecover 24 from panel A, this panel may be joined to panel D along an edgeof the jacket as depicted by FIG. 3, thereby completing the assembly.The turned-back corner shown in FIG. 3, at the location of adhesivestripe 22, will, of course, adhere flatly to face V of panel D in thefinished jacket.

As a slight modification of the structure above described, the adhesivestripe might be applied to a narrow panel or flap, such as E, ratherthan to panel A, in which case the adhesive connection between panels Dand A might be effected by simply turning the adhesive face 22 of panelor flap E about the free side margin of panel A (FIG. 4), onto the backW of panel A. With the structure so modified, the adhesive stripe wouldbe omitted from panel A, FIG. 1, and the added narrow panel B wouldcarry the adhesive stripe instead. Panel or flap E may have a fold lineconnection with the outer side edge margin 47 of panel D, and itsadhesive stripe would be exposed upon the front face of the panel.

It may here be noted that the adhesive connections in the abovedescribed forms of jacket, are never subject to lateral stress tendingto strip one panel from the other, during normal use of the jacket.Moreover, the lines of fold separating the panels need not be scorelines physically formed in the blank, because guidance in making theseveral folds may easily be had by simply observing markings upon theblank at 1, 2, and 3, for folding by the person assembling the jacket.Of course, the weight of the jacket material may in some instances besuch as to render physical scoring desirable at the fold lines, but whenthe material is not exceedingly thick or heavy, scoring may be dispensedwith, if desired.

A backbone for the jacket might be furnished, if desired, by applying anadhesive stripe to the faces V of panels C and D, in straddlingrelationship to fold line 3.

FIGS.5 to 7 The jacket structure illustrated by FIGS. 5 to 7, inclusive,has much in common with that of FIGS. 1 to 4, and possess all theadvantages thereof with the addition of presenting nicely finished edgeson the covers where the jacket opens to expose the insert sheets. Inthis modification, the intermediate panels B, C, and D, may bedimensioned to substantially correspond in size with the insert sheetsS, whereas the flanking split-panels A and E of reduced width, are eachnarrower than the width of the insert sheets. The spit-panel A isseparated from panel B by a fold mark or score line 1, and a similarmark or line 4 separates the split-panel E from panel D. Panels B, C,and D are separated by means of the fold marks or score lines 2 and 3.

By preference, panel B along its free edge margin carries the adhesivestripe 22, applied to front face V, and temporarily covered by thedetachable protective strip 24. As will be noted hereafter, the adhesivestripe might be eliminated entirely, but for the present, the structurewill be described as one including the adhesive stripe as shown on thedrawings.

To assemble, the panel A is first turned upon fold line 1 to place itback-to-back upon panel B (FIG. 6), whereupon the stack of inserts S maybe interposed to abut the fold, and then stitched or anchored to bothpanels by means of the fasteners 20. Next, panel C is swung onto panel Babout the fold line 2, to place the faces VV in fiatwise contact, withfold line 3 coinciding with fold line 1. Panel D may then be foldedalong line 3 to flatly abut panel A, the faces VV thereof contacting oneanother. Finally, at fold line 4 the panel B may be turned onto face Vof panel D and face W of panel A, to assume the position of FIG. 7. Atthis stage of the assembly, the adhesive stripe 22 may be uncovered foradhesively joining the sticking margin of panel B to panel A, as shown.

Assuming now that no adhesive stripe had been initially applied to panelB, the overlap of panel B upon panel A, at the right in FIG. 7, mightvery simply be maintained by means of an adhesive patch of any suitableform or size, applied as indicated at 48. Thus it will be understoodthat the blank for the jacket of FIG. 7 might be produced either with orwithout the stripe of adhesive 22. Also, the degree of overlap of panelE upon panel A, might be greater or less than shown upon the drawing,and the relative widths of panels A and E are subject to 4.-considerable alteration, without departing from the basic conceptillustrated.

As in the previous forms of the device, the fold lines 1, 2, 3, 4 may bemerely lines or marks on the blank, rather than definite scores,provided that the jacket material is not too resistive to neat and easyfolding.

A backbone for this jacket might be furnished, if desired, by applyingan adhesive stripe to the blank straddling the fold line 3, upon thefront faces VV of panels C and D. Such adhesive stripe would, of course,cover the fasteners 20 at both sides of fold line 1, FIG. 6. With orwithout the adhesive stripe, the fasteners 20 will be covered andconcealed, as in all other forms of the jacket disclosed herein.

In the several forms of the invention disclosed, certain structuralfeatures are common thereto; for example, all are constituted of asingle sheet scored or otherwise marked for folding, the sheet beinginitially in flat form for ease and economy of shipment, storage, andhandling. In all instances the fasteners employed are fully concealedand embedded to avoid snagging or defacing other objects or materialscoming into contact with the jacket. Manufacture of the improved jacketsinvolves the use of simple machinery operable at high production speed,and upon inexpensive materials if necessary or desirable, to effect thegreatest possible economy. The jackets are easy to assemble, with theemployment of a minimum amount of labor. Various other features andadvantages of merit mentioned hereinbefore are characteristic of theimproved device.

In conclusion, it should be understood that various modifications andchanges in structural details, and in the materials employed, may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A jacket structure for enveloping a stack of insert sheets having endedges, comprising an elongated onepiece flat blank of flexible material,the blank having transverse lines of fold extending the full heightthereof defining a plurality of in-line panels comprising intermediatepanels of the same size and shape and end panels at each end of theblank, each of the end panels having a free edge opposite theirrespective lines of folds, a first line of fold between one of the endpanels and the adjacent intermediate panel defining a crotch when theend and intermediate panels are folded upon each other, the end edges ofthe insert sheets being received in the crotch, separate anchoring meanspassing through the end and intermediate panels and the stack of insertsheets adjacent the first line of fold to hold the sheets and the endand intermediate panels permanently together along the first line offold and within the crotch, a second line of fold between adjacentintermediate panels being reversely bent and with the adjacentintermediate panels being exteriorly superposed upon each other with athird line of fold receiving therein the crotch containing the insertsheets and concealing the anchoring means, and adhesive securing meansalong the full height of the free edge of at least one of the end panelsto secure the free edges of the end panels together to make a unitary,complete and permanent jacket structure.

2. A jacket structure as recited in claim 1, wherein the transverselines of fold form four panels of the same size and shape and whereinthe adhesive securing means is adjacent the free edge of one of the endpanels.

3. A jacket structure as recited in claim 1, wherein one of the endpanels is provided with an extension of the same height as the end panelalong its free edge with the adhesive securing means on a surface of theextension, the extension being folded over and upon the free edge of theother end panel to secure the free edges of the panels together.

4. A jacket as defined in claim 1, wherein the transverse lines of foldform three intermediate panels of 5 same size and shape and two endpanels of smaller size than the intermediate panels.

5. A jacket structure as recited in claim 4, wherein the fold linebetween one of the smaller end panels and adjacent intermediate panelcomprises the crotch holding the insert sheets and wherein the completedjacket has outer and inner faces and end edges on each cover the endedges being formed of fold lines.

6. A jacket structure as recited in claim 5, wherein the free edges ofthe end panels overlap and are secured together within the inner face ofthe completed jacket and overlie one of the intermediate panels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSStephens Aug. 2, 1932 Bunto Aug. 6, 1940 Stanley Feb. 29, 1944 FOREIGNPATENTS Great Britain Apr. 13, 1922 Great Britain Oct. 31, 1935

